Date: Fri 18-Jul-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Royal-Feline-McLaughlin-Crick

Full Text:

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN for JULY 18. 1997

It's about time. For years I've been complaining that all my feline friends

have been ignored when The Bee periodically sponsors contests for the

best-looking dogs in town. So I really got excited this week when I learned

that Newtown Spay & Neuter is planning a "Royal Feline Family Contest" later

this summer.

SNAN will be looking for the "most beautiful" king and queen, "most elegant"

prince and princess, "most prestigious" duke and duchess, "cutest" heir to the

throne, "funniest" court jester, and "most unusual" members of the royal

court. There will be prizes in all those categories, too. Cats who intend to

enter should get their owners to start taking photos now (one cat per photo)

since all entries must be accompanied by a photograph.

The Newtown Congregational Church was blessed last Sunday by a visit from the

Jerriese Johnson East Village Gospel Choir from Middle Collegiate Church in

New York City and the group really had the joint jumping. There was no

cat-napping during this service, which had the congregation clapping hands and

swaying to the music. Leslie Ballard is a member of the choir, and her brother

Corky accompanied the group on bass. Mr and Mrs Win Ballard were in the

congregation and it was a fitting time for a special dedication. It was

announced that a plaque was going to be fixed to the large cross in the front

of the church indicating that Win Ballard had made the cross about 10 years

ago. Win stood up, received well-deserved recognition, and noted that he made

the cross from redwood which came from Oregon and pine which was grown in

Maine.

Al, the UPS delivery man, ditched his brown truck on Tuesday evening and got

behind the wheel of a tractor to do a bit of sweeping at Amaral's Garage. He

was really stirring up the dust with a big rotating broom, making it nice and

clean and ready for a new layer of blacktop. Danny Amaral stood nearby acting

as clerk of the works for the job.

Michael Crick, the son of Jim and Joan Crick of Glover Avenue, wrote a

humorous, interesting article about fishing on Cape Cod with one of his sons,

Willie, 8. The article was published in the magazine On The Water , which both

pleased and surprised Joan, who didn't realize Michael was a writer. It must

run in the family. Joan's great aunt, Josie Wright, wrote poetry and compiled

memoirs about her years living on The Boulevard in Newtown after the turn of

the century.

If you have a few hours to spare, volunteers are needed to help occasionally

at the Senior Center. Right now the center could use an arts & crafts helper,

singing group leader, persons to sit with an elderly person while a relative

goes shopping or to a doctor's appointment, persons to drive a patient to a

doctor's office once or twice a day. To put your name on the helper call list,

call Linda Peck or Marilyn Place at the Senior Center, 270-4344.

The Booth Library also is looking for volunteers to refinish the tops of a

half dozen 3x6-foot tables used in the reference department. The job requires

very little skill - just stripping and sanding the tops and applying a new

finish. The tables can be worked on right where they are currently being

stored, in Bridgeport Hall at Fairfield Hills. Call reference librarian Beryl

Harrison at 426-8552 for more information.

Don't forget that the Labor Day Parade committee is looking for kids' artwork

to put on the cover and inside the parade booklet this year. The theme of the

parade is "Newtown, Our Town" so there's lots of possibilities for appropriate

artwork. Kids up to age 12 are invited to participate. Drop submissions off at

The Bee office or mail them to Labor Day Parade, c/o The Newtown Bee , 5

Church Hill Road, Newtown 06470. Include the artist's name, age and telephone

number (so that winners can be notified).

Donations for the Labor Day Parade have been coming in but not nearly as

quickly as necessary to hold this year's parade. Please send your charitable

contributions to: Newtown Summer Festival, c/o Fleet Bank, 6 Queen Street,

Newtown 06470.

Republican Town Committee member Andrew Buzzi and his wife, Michele, are the

parents of a brand new daughter, Rachael Ann, who was born on Tuesday.

Morgen McLaughlin brought live outdoor jazz concerts back to Sandy Hook last

weekend with the first concert of the summer at her Abbotts Hill Road

vineyard. The Dane Hassan Trio, with special guest Bill CoFrancis performing

on alto sax, played two hours of jazz that was enjoyed by well over 200 people

Saturday night. There were lawn chairs and blankets aplenty, as friends and

neighbors gathered for what has become for many an anticipated summer event.

Proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to the Newtown Scholarship

Association, a worthy cause indeed.

Concerts are usually held Saturday evenings from 6 to 8 pm, but this weekend

will vary from that schedule. On Sunday afternoon from 1 to 4 pm, Pocket

Jungle will be performing on the vineyard's open meadow. The quartet is led by

bass player Phil Bowler, a name many will recognize from his show on WPKN

(89.5). In fact, the concert is being sponsored by the listener-supported

radio station. Along with Phil in the band are Paul Carlon on tenor sax,

guitarist Pete Smith, and drummer William Braver Bausch. Call the vineyard,

426-1533, for additional details. The Saturday night concerts will resume at

their regular time next weekend (on July 26), with The Dane Hassan Trio.

For more news about what's happening around town, you'll need to...

Read me again.